1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic commerce conducted over a network and, more particularly, to providing security for the use of rich internet applications in conducting financial transactions such as purchases from a mobile device or other consumer electronic device.
2. Related Art
The term “rich Internet application” (RIA) generally refers to a Web application (e.g. one that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet) that has characteristics of desktop application software, and which is typically delivered either by way of a site-specific browser (e.g., a browser dedicated to accessing pages from a single site on a computer network such as the Internet, and typically simplified by excluding menus, toolbars, and other interface features associated with functions that are extraneous to the workings of the single site) or a browser plug-in, for example. Rich Internet applications generally run on top of an application platform (also referred to as an “RIA runtime” or framework) such as Flash®, Silverlight®, or JavaFX®. Rich Internet applications generally use a “rich client” deployment model (deployment of a compiled client application through a browser) rather than a “thin client” server model (where the user's view is largely controlled from the server).
Electronic commerce generally refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic networks such as the Internet and other computer networks using electronic devices such as mobile phones with mobile web browsers, smart phones, and electronic note pads. There are several service providers that facilitate electronic commerce by providing services to make payments and perform other transactions with security. One service provider, for example, provides a service that can be invoked from a participating merchant's website by simply clicking on the service provider's checkout button at the merchant website, which redirects the customer to a login page of the service provider where the customer can securely log in to his or her service provider account and select his or her preferred payment method. Then, for example, payment is made to the merchant by the service provider, and the customer is redirected back to the merchant website where the customer may confirm his or her purchase.